What's the work

There are a couple different elements of the work that we're a part of down here in Zimbabwe. Some is simply what Hands of Hope is up to, and others are what we are a direct part of as we visit the ministry here.

1) The feeding projects. Hands of Hope sponsors several different church across the country and partners with them to supply food enough for at least one meal a day for orphans of AIDs and other children in need. A feeding project willy typically start with 50 kids and grow as faithfulness and trust are built. The biggest project I know of is run by a man named Pastor Mtatu who helps to feed over 400 orphans.

2) Housing projects. It's the same idea as feeding, but with a roof overhead as well as food. Typically a group of two to three women are the aunties over a home that can have from seven to over a dozen kids, many taken in from the streets. There are about a dozen housing projects that I know of now with more on the way. The people down here are so loving and many of them do this work for orphans without any support. Pastor Gideon is a wonderful man who lives just outside the city of Buluwayo and has taken about eighteen kids under his own care to feed them and clothe them- all own salary. This is not to praise a man, but to show the love that lives through God's followers here in Zimbabwe. Many people plant gardens and farms to help ease the burden of feeding so many kids.

3) Along with the housing projects. Hands of Hope helps kids obtain a vision for the future, working at providing the kids with educations as well as a spiritual foundation in life, that they may grow, not simply to be healthy, but also to love and serve the Lord. It's not enough to give these kids food and shelter, but also reason to live and grow- They give these children the gift of dignity. John and I worked with three other men down here to paint a home here. I didn't see why we were doing it, thinking it wasn't helping anybody much, but Pastor Mtatu assured me that the beauty of the home is such a gift to kids, showing them their value and giving them a sense of something more- it helps give them worth.

4) Bulk buying and deliveries. We've gone out a couple times with the workers here to buy food in bulk for the feeding projects- They search all over the city because whoever has the best price is never consistent and even ten cents a kg can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars per three month buying period. After the food is bought, we load up this totally sweet truck and drive it around town to the projects, riding in the back with the food in case somebody tries to steal from us at a stop light (called a 'robot' down here, by the way.)

5) Visiting. A big part of what is happening here, something I wasn't expecting, is the visiting. People want to know how we are, how we find Zimbabwe, how the states are, how Obama is doing as president- a man from a village where no white man had been in ten years asked me if I thought a black man could be president, and if Obama was bringing the troops back to america as promised. We meet a lot of people most all of whom love to converse and be social, but the best ones are still the kids we see at the homes. They are a beautiful bunch of people who love the Lord. I promise, I'll get picture and stories of kids up soon. We have the blessing of making relationships with the people here and it's amazing to see how much of an encouragement we can be to a family of orphans and their aunties simply by spending time with them and being ourselves. They love that we've shown up to see them, it's probably the easiest work I've ever done, and one of the best ways -it seams- to lift the burden of life down here.

This is the main thrust of what's been going on with us on the trip.